Yeungnam University of Science and Technology taps AI to help local SMEs solve technical challenges

Yeungnam University of Science and Technology has wrapped up an industry-academia program that used AI to address technical challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in the region and support their digital transformation.

The university held the "AI-Based Technical Consulting" sessions as part of its AID project, running once a week from Aug. 11 through Tuesday at the CLC classroom on the fourth floor of Cheonma Square — four sessions in total — targeting executives and employees of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region.

Eleven companies from the region took part in the program. Participants were divided into three teams and spent a total of 12 hours working through a step-by-step curriculum that covered AI fundamentals, diagnosis of each company's technical pain points, design of AI-based solutions, hands-on implementation and results sharing.

The consulting went beyond basic AI education, focusing on identifying the real technical and managerial difficulties companies face on the ground and mapping out concrete ways AI could address them.

The university said the program was aimed at strengthening local companies' AI transformation capabilities and spreading its AI resources and expertise into the regional industrial sector.

The program is also set to extend beyond direct company support into follow-up industry-academia collaboration tied to the university's own curriculum.

"AI is no longer a technology exclusive to specific industries or large corporations — it is becoming a practical innovation tool that raises the productivity and competitiveness of local small and medium-sized enterprises," said Lee Jae-yong, president of Yeungnam University of Science and Technology. "I hope this consulting served as an opportunity for participating companies to diagnose their on-site challenges from a fresh perspective and identify actionable tasks using AI."